The present invention generally relates to wireless communication networks, and particularly relates to inventive coherent transmit diversity techniques that improve communication performance and efficiency.
Wireless communication networks employ various techniques to maximize their communication efficiency, performance, and economy. Economy and efficiency may be measured from the service provider's perspective, and generally relate to supporting the greatest possible number of users for lowest possible service and equipment costs. Performance may be measured from the perspective of both service providers and subscribers, and centers on providing the highest possible reliability at whatever data rate is being used.
Approaches to improving communication reliability are at least as numerous as the factors influencing that reliability. Thus, one sees a broad range of technologies and methods in modern communication systems, all meant to improve the underlying reliability of the communication services provided. Of these varied approaches, diversity communications itself represents a varied mix of techniques.
In wireless communication, successful reception depends on a relatively unobstructed signal path between a receiver and a supporting transmitter. If the path is obstructed, fading may occur. Fading may be particularly problematic when the wireless receiver is moving with respect to the transmitter. In this scenario, the signal path is ever changing and fading becomes a highly dynamic factor influencing reception quality.
Diversity combats fading by providing additional communication elements capable of transmitting or receiving on different signal paths in the hope that at least one of these signal paths will remain un-faded at any particular instant in time. Diversity may be implemented on the transmit side using different frequencies, antennas, polarizations, or combinations thereof to transmit to a given receiver.
Implementing diversity on the receive side, which is a more common practice, usually entails providing multiple receiving elements, such as two or more receive antennas. With multiple receiving elements, the receiver may receive its signal of interest on multiple signal paths, thus increasing the likelihood that at least one of the signal paths will be unobstructed at any instant in time.
With transmit macro diversity multiple transmitting antennas may be used to transmit signals to a given wireless receiver. When the antennas are individual elements in an antenna array, coherent transmit beamforming may be used to advantage. With this technique, reception performance is improved by the summation of transmit powers received from the multiple transmit antenna elements, as well as by the focusing of the transmit signal towards the receiver.
If the transmit antenna elements are not co-located, spatial transmit diversity may be achieved by transmitting the same signal from multiple, spaced-apart transmit antennas. However, non-coherent (e.g., time-offset) diversity signals transmitted in this manner increase the geographical spread of interference between different wireless receivers using the same communication channel.